Ozark Federal Credit Union hosts seminar to protect residents from fraud

Detective Shonna Grobe of the Poplar Bluff Police Department stated fraud is one of her top concerns for the community at Ozark Federal Credit Union’s Fraud Prevention seminar.

Grobe shared insights on how scammers target vulnerable demographics like the elderly during a seminar Wednesday at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce. She has witnessed cases in the community where scammers took amounts over $170,000.

Grobe highlighted several common vectors the perpetrators use to gather sensitive information. First, she warned against the dangers of scam calls. Attackers often pose as law enforcement seeking payment for a ticket or other offense.

“These people are professional con artists. They are bullies. They will try to scare people,” Grobe cautioned.

She clarified the police will never contact individuals over the phone to collect money or threaten arrest.

Grobe stated tracking and prosecution of the perpetrators is often impossible due to criminals basing themselves internationally in countries such as Jamaica and Nigeria.

She warned that money lost to scams is very rarely recovered.

The next vector she covered was online dating. Fraudsters will set up fake dating profiles to gain the trust of the lonely.

The next step is to request money for travel expenses to visit the targeted individual. Grobe pointed out that freely given money, even under false pretenses, is a grey area of the law.

Third, she covered a recent trend of scammers sending fake checks to businesses for a greater amount than the quoted price and asking for a cash or money order to make up the difference. The unsuspecting target will refund the cash but the received check will bounce.

Grobe encourages residents to call the police department if they feel like they are being scammed or offered a fraudulent check.

Next, she warned against posting excessive personal information on social media. Thieves use seemingly harmless pictures of the family on vacation out of state as indicators of an easily targeted empty home.

Grobe alerted attendees that information such as hometown, pets, family members, or birthdays posted on social media often lines up with the security questions needed to access a credit card or bank account. She implores residents to at least set their profiles to private and limit online presence.

Fourth, Grobe explained the dangers of spoofed websites that look just like the real thing. Occasionally, the sponsored first result in a Google search will lead users to a fraudulent copy of a legitimate site. Scammers will then harvest personal data and card numbers if provided.

Grobe encourages users to examine the title of the website link for spelling anomalies or lacking the “https”.

Davine Conover, a representative of Ozark Federal Credit Union, provided worksheets for attendees to check their credit scores with Experian, Equifax, and Transunion.

She recommended freezing one’s credit unless actively searching to take out a loan or a new insurance policy. The bank also provided a gift bag with flyers and a sleeve for credit cards that prevents unwanted scanning.

Grobe concluded by emphasizing fraud’s growing impact, and that Poplar Bluff is not immune.